Rich mans club goes beyond the senate

There has been a saying for years concerning the fact that the United States senate is just a bunch of millionaires sitting around making decisions for common people.

But now it seems that being in most public offices costs so much that the common man cannot afford to run.

I remember an instance a few years ago in this county when a school board office was contested between two opponents. Both spent a lot of money advertising and putting up signs. I can't remember the exact figures they expended, but I do remember it was a lot for such an office.

The problem with having to have a lot of money to run for public office and then to serve in it is that it cuts the common guy out of the chance to do their part in our democracy.

Those who founded this country came from lands where rich kings, czars and emperors ruled. They began our country for that reason, and others that followed them saw the chance for a true republic built on the fact that citizens could serve.

However, we are becoming no better than those lands of old if we only elect rich people to offices that rule the country.

Luckily, at the local rural level, common people still do seek and often win office. But I worry that the trend in elections show that money talks too loudly, while the issues themselves go down the tube.

Only we, as citizens can stop this from happening.

When you vote in both the primary and the final elections for local offices this year, please know the issues and vote for the candidate that best reflects your views, rather than voting based on who had the most signs or whose name you have heard the most.

It's a matter of fulfilling our civic duty, as well as ensuring a diverse future for our country.